The Art of Gentle Persuasion
by CycloneT
Summary: A favour leads to all sorts of fun for the team. [CatherineGrissom]
1. Default Chapter

Title: The Art of Gentle Persuasion  
  
Author: Tracy  
  
Rating: Eventually NC17… but that will be over at the Graveshift...here, it won't go any higher than an R   
  
Summary: A favour asked leads to all sorts of fun.  
  
Pairings: Well, C/G, obviously, and in my head Nick is making a play for Sara – can't say how things will turn out because she's being a stubborn so-and-so, but if I have my way she won't be making eyes at Gris for much longer. LOL   
  
Disclaimer: I want them – but since I don't have them you can all pretty much surmise that they don't belong to me.   
  
A/N: Thanks go to Traci for beta'ing, and encouraging, and generally nagging me to pieces. Ha! Gotcha, Trac!  
  
~x~  
  
  
  
Catherine stood in the doorway to Grissom's office and studied the preoccupied man for a moment before making herself known. His head was bent over a jar and a look of concentration alighted his face. "Gil?"   
  
He looked up and as always, smiled at her presence. "Catherine, take a look at this and tell me what you think."  
  
  
  
"In a minute," she replied as she ignored the creepy crawly Gil was gesturing to and plonked herself down on a corner of the desk. "I have to ask you something."   
  
  
  
Gil put the jar down, noting that Catherine was looking a little apprehensive. "What is it?"  
  
"I need a favour."  
  
  
  
"Anything for you, Cath," he replied without even thinking.  
  
  
  
"You might want to find out what the favour is before you agree like that."  
  
  
  
"I trust you," he said with a small smile.  
  
  
  
"Okay then," she blinked. "Good."  
  
Gil stared at her expectantly, waiting for her to volunteer more information. When she didn't he leaned back in his seat and folded his arms on the desk. "Well?"  
  
"Well what?" she countered.  
  
"What is this favour you need?"  
  
"I knew this was way too easy," she said under her breath.  
  
  
  
He cocked his head but said nothing, knowing that she would tell him in her own time and feeling no particular hurry pull it out of her.   
  
  
  
"Okay. Here it goes. I've been doing a little fund raising for a local children's charity and well. . . . Someone came up with the bright idea of hosting a black tie function. We really need some more volunteers, so I was hoping you wouldn't mind donating a little of your time to help me out."  
  
  
  
"You mean like collecting money, handing out drinks – that kind of thing."  
  
  
  
She wouldn't meet his eyes. "Not exactly."   
  
  
  
"What exactly?" Gil asked suspiciously.  
  
  
  
"It's kind of a bachelor auction."  
  
  
  
"*Kind of* a bachelor auction?" He wasn't very proud of the fact that his voice raised an octave - maybe two, to come out in a pitiful squeak.   
  
  
  
"Gil, I'm desperate. I've had four volunteers drop out at the last minute and I need to replace them."  
  
  
  
Gil was looking at her apprehensively. "You're actually asking me to stand up in front of a room full of desperate women and sell myself to the highest bidder? As a favour to you?"   
  
  
  
"When you put it like that it sounds so crude," Catherine objected.  
  
  
  
His eyes narrowed and she shuffled uncomfortably under his scrutiny. "Okay," he suddenly acquiesced.  
  
  
  
"What?"   
  
  
  
"I said okay," he grinned at her. "On one condition."  
  
  
  
"Which is?" she asked suspiciously, her heart thumping at an alarming rate from the way he was looking at her.  
  
"You have to buy me."  
  
  
  
Catherine coughed nervously. "Er…I think it's against regulations for organisers to bid on the merchandise."  
  
  
  
Gil was adamant. "Either you buy me, or no deal. I'm not spending the night with some strange woman leering at me."   
  
  
  
"Gil –"  
  
  
  
"You're a smart woman, Cath. Figure out a way around the regulations, or find someone else to be your little patsy."  
  
  
  
"Okay," she sighed, knowing that stubborn look on his face all too well. "I'll figure out something."  
  
  
  
"We have a deal then?" he pressed.  
  
  
  
"Yes, we have a deal."  
  
  
  
They shook on it and then Gil asked, "So, when is this bachelor auction?"  
  
  
  
Catherine was suddenly all business like again. "It's Friday night at 7 o'clock. You'll have to wear a tux."  
  
  
  
"Why?"  
  
  
  
"Because once I own you, we'll be spending the night dancing – after we've finished dinner, that is."  
  
  
  
"Hey," Gil objected, "You didn't say anything about dancing!"  
  
  
  
Catherine grinned impishly. "Too late, Gil – you can't back out now."  
  
  
  
"Wait a minute, Catherine, I'm working this Friday night."  
  
  
  
"You're the boss – rearrange the roster," she called over her shoulder as she left the office.  
  
  
  
"Cath, I'm serious."  
  
"I can't hear you, Gil," she sang out from the elevator.  
  
TBC 


	2. part 2

Catherine caught up with Warrick and Nick as they were leaving at the end of shift. She'd had a busy night and was looking forward to going home, having a long hot shower and climbing into bed. Not quite trusting Gil to make true on their deal she'd wrangled a meeting with the powers that be and managed to sell them on the finer points of a weekend workshop of team building. Thanks to her skilful manipulation, it just happened to start on Friday night and run through to Sunday afternoon.   
  
"Hey guys, could I talk to you a second?" she called out as they approached the parking lot.  
  
  
  
Nick stopped and waited patiently until she'd caught up to them. "Sure. What's on your mind?"  
  
  
  
"I need a favour from the two hottest guys in Las Vegas," she said with a big cheesy smile.  
  
  
  
"Uh oh, this doesn't sound good," Warrick joked, exchanging a glance with Nick.   
  
Catherine flashed him a cheeky grin. "Here's the deal, boys. I'm organising a bachelor auction for Friday night and I'm kinda short on bachelors. So what do you say? You in?"  
  
"I'd be in it, Cath, but I'm rostered on that night," Warrick explained.  
  
Nick nodded. "Me too. Sorry."  
  
"C'mon, Nicky," she wheedled. "Think of all those eligible women just dying to get their hot little hands on you."  
  
"Hey, I'd gladly do it. But work. . ." Nick broke off.   
  
"Did you guys hear?" Sara demanded as she appeared out of the building waving a piece of paper. "As if we don't spend enough time together, now we've got to participate in a weekend workshop."  
  
Warrick took the paper from her and quickly scanned it. "We what?"  
  
"I think you'll find you have Friday night free now," Catherine said innocently.   
  
The two men turned to her suspiciously. "You don't leave anything to chance, do you?"  
  
"Nope," she agreed. "So, you were both saying that you'd love to help me, right?"  
  
"Do we have a choice?" Nick asked.  
  
"We all have choices, Nicky. Now what's yours?"  
  
He shook his head good-naturedly. "I'll be in it. You did say the women were hot, right?"  
  
Catherine laughed and looked expectantly at Warrick. "What about you?"  
  
"Yeah," he sighed. "Count me in too."  
  
Sara looked at them curiously. "What's this?"   
  
"Bachelor auction," Catherine explained. "Now I've just got to talk to Greg and I think I'll meet my quota."  
  
"When is it?" Sara asked evilly. "I think this is something I should get behind and support however I can."  
  
"You tell her to stay away from us, Cath," Warrick said. "I don't trust her."  
  
"Boys. . .would I do anything to embarrass you?"  
  
"Leave them alone, Sara. At least until Friday night - then all bets are off."  
  
Sara smirked and ran her eyes over the two newest volunteers. She circled around them, appraising their attributes and clucking appreciative noises. "I've seen worse," she conceded.  
  
"You want to get your hands on this package you're going to have to pay, just like everyone else," Nick teased.  
  
"Could you be any more egotistical?"  
  
"You know you want me," he said seductively. "Just admit it."   
  
"These two are the best you can do?" Sara appealed to Catherine.  
  
"Actually, no. Gil said he'd do it too."  
  
  
  
"Grissom's doing it?" Her shock was quite evident. Then a wistful shine appeared in her eyes. "Oh, I've *got* to see that," she said under her breath.   
  
  
  
TBC… 


	3. part 3

Friday night.  
  
  
  
Gil entered the reception room nervously. He didn't know why he had let Catherine talk him into this. It was insane. He should turn around right now and leave before anyone saw him. He had made up his mind to do just that when he was spotted by Sara.  
  
  
  
"Grissom, you made it." she greeted him from across the hall.   
  
  
  
"Yeah," he replied as she came up to him. "What are you doing here?"  
  
  
  
"Catherine didn't tell you?" Gil shook his head. "I offered to volunteer, because, well, I couldn't resist the opportunity of seeing all of you dressed up."  
  
  
  
"Great," he said with little enthusiasm.   
  
  
  
"There is another reason, too," she added with a coy little smile.  
  
  
  
He looked around the room for Catherine. "What's that?" he asked disinterestedly.  
  
  
  
She winked at him. "You'll see."  
  
  
  
Gil grimaced. Catherine owed him big time for this. He was just trying to think of an excuse to make a run for it when he realised Sara was saying something.  
  
"Excuse me?" he asked blankly.  
  
"I just said that you look good."   
  
"What? Oh, thankyou." She seemed to be waiting for something else, so he offered up a, "You look nice, too," and was grateful when she accepted it.   
  
"Well, I'd better get back to it then. I'm signing up bidders for later on."  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
Sara stood staring at him and when she realised that that was the best response she was going to get she frowned slightly, tossed a nonchalant, 'See ya' over her shoulder and disappeared into the growing crowd.  
  
Gil didn't even notice her departure. He was too busy being frozen to the spot with fear of making a fool out of himself.  
  
~x~  
  
"I can't believe you did that to me," Nick accused again as Grissom left the to see what was keeping Catherine. He was sitting at a table with Warrick and his bidder, Fiona, who were getting along famously, and Sara. There would be six of them when Grissom came back with Catherine. Greg was at another table, trying to make the most of his evening with a 70 plus year old woman who kept squeezing his knee.   
  
  
  
Sara sighed. "I didn't realise I was doing it to you. I thought I was bidding on . . .someone else."  
  
  
  
"I had a chance to spend an evening with a gorgeous woman with money to throw around, and instead I got stuck with you."  
  
"Stuck with me? You'd better fix that tone, mister, or you're in for one hell of a long night."  
  
Nick took a long gulp of wine. "Sorry – it didn't come out quite the way I'd intended."   
  
"You know this isn't exactly a barrel of laughs for me, either. I've got half a mind to complain to the organisers about making the bidder numbers more visible."  
  
"You really weren't bidding on me?" he asked.  
  
"No, you dolt. I wasn't."  
  
Nick laughed. "Well, that's gotta blow. Spending all that money on the wrong bachelor just because you weren't paying attention."  
  
"Shut up. It was a different system than I'm used to."  
  
"Really?" Nick leant across the table. "Just how many of these auctions have you been to?"  
  
"Never mind – but I believe the most reasonable way to run an auction would be for the bachelors to come out one at a time and the auctioneer to accept bids like that. Not having you all standing on the stage and calling out lot numbers so that you don't know who you're bidding on. That just smacks of ineptitude."  
  
Nick rolled his eyes. "Whatever. It's all for charity, so it doesn't really matter, does it?"  
  
Sara refused to be placated. "It's the principle."  
  
They fell into silence as Warrick and Fiona chatted animatedly, and did their best to ignore each other as they waited for Grissom and Catherine to join them. A short time later Gil reappeared. "No one knows where she is," he frowned as she sat down at the table. "Did you see her during the auction?" he asked Sara.  
  
  
  
"No, but then she would probably have been working behind the scenes."  
  
  
  
"What about you, Nick? Have you seen her?"  
  
  
  
Nick shook his head.   
  
  
  
Gil slapped the table in frustration. "So we don't know if she's even here."  
  
  
  
"She's here, Griss. Don't you worry about that," Warrick assured him.  
  
  
  
"How can you be so sure? I didn't turn up to this thing and make an idiot out of myself for nothing. Especially if she's not even here to see it."  
  
  
  
"You wanted her to see you make an idiot out of yourself?" Nick questioned with a smirk playing around his lips.  
  
  
  
Gil glared at him. "You know what I mean," he mumbled.  
  
"Gris, relax. She somehow managed to bid on you, right?"  
  
Gil grunted in agreement, and they fell into nonsensical chitchat and sipped their wine. Warrick was the first to notice the woman making her way determinedly to their table. "Ah – the elusive lady herself," he commented as she arrived.  
  
  
  
Catherine flashed him a smile. "Sorry – I got held up with some administration stuff. But I'm here now, and ready to enjoy the company of my newest acquisition."  
  
  
  
Nick and Warrick laughed, Sara scowled, but Gil's tongue seemed to be stuck to the roof of his mouth. Catherine was wearing a very long, very slinky, very low cut black dress that allowed him to see more skin than he ever did during working hours. Two splits up the sides only accentuated the fact that she had amazingly long, incredibly tanned legs. Black high heels, which at some point in his life he had heard referred to as, 'come fuck me' shoes completed her ensemble. Realising that he was staring he pulled his eyes away from the vision before him and gulped down the rest of his wine.  
  
  
  
"Drink?" he managed to choke out.  
  
  
  
"That'd be nice, Gil, thank you."  
  
TBC 


	4. part 4

~x~  
  
"Everyone ready to eat?" Nick asked.  
  
  
  
They all nodded and after calling over a waiter, proceeded to listen as he read them their options.  
  
  
  
An hour or so later the dishes had been cleared, and they were sitting back contentedly in their chairs waiting for the next part of the evening to begin. Gil's tongue had come unstuck somewhere between the smoked barramundi and his fourth or fifth glass of wine, but now his stomach jumped and lurched uncomfortably at the thought of having to get up and dance with the woman who officially owned him for the night. He knew how to dance - that wasn't the problem. The problem was that little black dress Catherine was almost wearing. It did cover everything, but it also accentuated the fact that all her curves and bits and pieces were most definitely in the right place. He swallowed heavily as the emcee's oration drew to a close and the band started playing. Couples were flocking to the dance floor, but he was stuck in his chair staring at the tablecloth and unable to move.   
  
  
  
Sara was the first to make a move. "I believe this dance is mine," she smiled as the music started up.  
  
  
  
"I believe this ass is yours," Nick grinned back and stood to hold her chair out for her. "At least for tonight, anyway."  
  
  
  
Warrick and Fiona also walked out to the dance floor, leaving Gil and Catherine alone at the table.  
  
  
  
"So..." she ventured, "It looks like fun out there."  
  
  
  
He finally dragged his eyes from the tablecloth and followed her glance. "If that's your thing, I suppose so."  
  
  
  
"You don't have to if you don't want to, Gil," she said with a wan smile. "We can just sit here and talk."  
  
  
  
"Talk?"  
  
  
  
"Yeah, you know - that thing people do with their mouths."  
  
  
  
"Oh?" He smirked and waggled his brow suggestively.  
  
  
  
"That other thing people do with their mouths," Catherine laughed.   
  
  
  
His laughter mingled with hers and he was pleased that he'd finally found his voice. "Oh, *talk*. Okay, gotcha now."  
  
  
  
"I think you need to get your mind out of the gutter," she berated him.  
  
  
  
"But I like it down here," he winked at her. "Sure you don't want to join me?"  
  
  
  
Catherine raised her glass and took a sip of wine. She was feeling very bold and empowered in her little black dress, and was contemplating doing something that had been in her mind for a long time. "I just might, Gil," she muttered into the glass.  
  
  
  
"What?"  
  
  
  
"You heard me."  
  
  
  
"Catherine –"  
  
  
  
"What?" she asked innocently.  
  
  
  
Gil rolled his eyes. "It's going to be a long night."  
  
  
  
"Only as long as you want it to be," she murmured.   
  
  
  
Before he could puzzle out the meaning of her words she asked, "So, tell me why dancing isn't your thing."  
  
  
  
"I never said it wasn't my thing."  
  
  
  
"But you're uncomfortable doing it?"  
  
  
  
His eyes flickered to the dancing couples again. "No. Not really."  
  
  
  
"Then it's not that you don't want to dance, it's that you don't want to dance with me," Catherine tried to keep the hurt out of her voice, but she didn't really succeed.  
  
  
  
"No, Cath, that's not it at all."  
  
  
  
"Whatever," she shrugged, and racked her brain to think of any other topic of conversation. "How much did I end up paying for you?"  
  
  
  
"Catherine –"  
  
  
  
"That much, huh?"  
  
  
  
"No...Well, yes, but listen - I don't *not* want to dance with you."  
  
  
  
"But you don't exactly want to, either."  
  
  
  
"It's not that I - oh for crying out loud." He stood up and held out his hand. "Let's get this settled now, before it goes any further. If my lady will permit…?"  
  
  
  
She looked at him standing there impatiently with his arm held out for her and rested her hand gently in his. "You just watch out for my toes," she joked.  
  
  
  
He led her to the dance floor and twirled her around before pulling her close and encircling his arm around her waist. "I'll have you know that I'm very light on my feet."  
  
  
  
"Okay then, Twinkle Toes, strut your stuff."  
  
TBC 


	5. part 5

A/N: All hail Sara! She's finally starting to behave...although it might not look like it at the moment, she's definately going to be in a Nicky mood pretty soon. g  
  
~x~  
  
"Oh boy. Would you look at that?" Nick chuckled into Sara's ear.  
  
She lifted her head and scanned the room. "What?"  
  
He twirled her around so that she was facing the direction in which he had been looking, and pointed her attention to Gil and Catherine. "Looks like things are going well over there," he commented dryly.  
  
Sara scowled and continued to watch them for a while. She noted that a great deal of smiling and laughing was going on as their bodies swayed together naturally. "I think we should go over and cut in," she said.  
  
Nick stood back and studied her face. "What's going on, Sara?"  
  
"What do you mean? Nothing's going on."  
  
"You've been like a bear with a sore head all night. Ever since you . . ." Comprehension flooded his eyes. "You were bidding on Grissom, weren't you? That's why you're pissed. Because Cath has him and you don't."   
  
"No, of course not. You're being ridiculous."  
  
He looked at her with sympathy and colour flooded her face when she realised that he knew. "Okay, so I was bidding on Grissom. So what? It doesn't mean anything."  
  
"Sara – you gotta know that it's never gonna happen. Griss and Cath have something special between them. Something the rest of us can't even begin to comprehend."  
  
She knew it was true, but it didn't stop her from wishing Catherine would fall flat on her face nonetheless. "It's not like I don't know that, because I do. I see the way he looks at her when he thinks no one is watching. But I . . ."  
  
"You what?" he prodded gently.  
  
"I guess I just wanted him to look at me like that. Pathetic huh? Chasing after a man who is so obviously not interested."  
  
"Not pathetic. Just human."   
  
Sara smiled in gratitude, and wanting her vulnerable moment to disappear changed the subject. "Hey, you know, you're a pretty good dancer."  
  
"Of course I am. All that southern charm has gotta count for something."  
  
She laughed her first genuine laugh of the night and decided to concentrate on just having fun. The rest would work itself out in it's own time.  
  
  
  
~x~  
  
"You've been getting some pretty appreciative looks tonight," Catherine observed. "Most notably from a certain brunette with a not so secret crush."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Sara. She's been making eyes at you all night."  
  
Gil scoffed. "You're imagining things. Sara doesn't feel that way about me."  
  
"Oh, for crying out loud, Gil. Wake up and smell the coffee. She's got it bad."  
  
They'd been on the floor for five or six songs now, and had found a comfortable rhythm. Gil's breathing was slightly more irregular than usual, but it had nothing to do with the energy he was exerting and everything to do with the woman in his arms. "You know, it's kind of hard to keep a conversation flowing when you're moving like that," he accused.  
  
Catherine felt a little flutter in her stomach and adapted her most innocent look. "Like what?"  
  
"You know what you're doing,"   
  
She closed the miniscule distance there was between them and pressed her body into his. She could feel the beat of his heart as it thudded heavily against her chest and fought against a shiver as his breath blew across her forehead. "You don't like how I dance, Gil?" she whispered into his ear. "That's a real shame, because I'm sure enjoying myself."  
  
"I never said I didn't like how you dance," he drawled in a tone that left her unable to fight the tingly sensation that was beginning to overtake the shivers, "I just think that you ought to be keeping a tighter reign what your body is doing. That's all."  
  
"This is coming from Mr. Swivel Hips, himself?"  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
Catherine ground her hips against his and smiled as she felt him jump from the contact. "Let's just say that Elvis had nothing on you, Gil."  
  
His eyes darkened and the tingle spread. "You wanna play it this way, Cath, I'm game."  
  
She flashed him a wide-eyed vapid look and batted her eyelashes sweetly. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about."   
  
Gil said nothing, but his gaze held hers and she was unable to look away. She felt a slow blush creep up her face, and blushed even harder when she realised that he was aware of it. She gritted her teeth and said under her breath, "It's now or never." And then Gil's night really got interesting.  
  
  
  
~x~  
  
  
  
Warrick and his date had moved back to the table and were soon joined by Nick and Sara. "They look like they're having fun," Warrick commented to no one in particular. Sara forced herself to look at the dancing couple, and gasped as she realised what Catherine was doing.  
  
Nick's eyes widened as he watched for a few moments. "Oh my," he sighed, "She's very fluid, isn't she?"  
  
From across the dance floor, Catherine was swaying sinuously to a bluesy song; her arms were raised above her head and her body was gyrating smoothly against Gil's. He appeared to be in some sort of shock, but he didn't move away, and he couldn't take his eyes off her. She danced that way for a while, a secretive smile tugging at her lips, and then she wrapped his arms around her and turned so that they were spooned. Gil's body finally woke up as the languorous tempo she had set with her hips found a partner in his own, and he started rotating along with her.  
  
Catherine's arms then wound themselves around his neck and pulled his chin down so that it was nested between the curve of her own neck and shoulder. His warm breath blowing across her skin was doing strange little quivery things to her body, and she threw her head back and allowed her eyes close.  
  
Lost in the mood, they didn't notice when the song finished and another one started. However the new rhythm spoke to her blood, and she spun back around so that they were pelvis to pelvis. Gil's hands anchored firmly on the hips that so entranced him, and he tried to keep his thoughts away from the gentle rising and falling of Catherine's chest crushed to his. After a while she felt the need for another move, and did a little shimmy; almost using his body as a pole as he stood there with dark eyes and scarlet ears.  
  
"Whoa!" Nick whistled in appreciation. "He's gone."   
  
"Well and truly," Warrick agreed.  
  
"She always said she was the best," Nick muttered under his breath. "Guess now we know that she was."  
  
Sara gulped down her wine and poured another glass. She knew that she couldn't even begin to compete with the exhibition Catherine was putting on, but she possessed other attributes that the older woman didn't. Attributes that she was sure Grissom would fully appreciate, if she could only make him see them.   
  
A chortle from Nick caused her eyes to narrow in sudden speculation as a game plan began to form in her mind. A mans behaviour was so easy to predict – they always wanted what they couldn't have. And if Grissom thought that he couldn't have her . . . she smiled brightly and turned her attention back to the table. Maybe Nick was just the person to force his hand.   
  
TBC 


End file.
